Comfort and Sympathy

Here is another sympathy card that I made.   This one is for a friend who lost her father-in-law this week. I used paper by K&Co, dies by Kat Scrappiness, a sentiment by Stampin'Up, and a stamped motif by Fiskars.

CHN Feb. PP challenge
SSS Wednesday, AG
DL.Art Feb. linky party
Cardz TV 109

They Are Not Gone

I had to make two sympathy cards this week, and so pulled out a sympathy stamp set by Stampin' Up that a friend loaned to me. I try to make several sympathy cards at a time because it's sometimes hard to make one on the spot when they are needed. I used paper by K & Co, and dies by Spellbinders for this one. Snug Hug seam binding in Oatmeal, and some fussy cutting from the background paper finished this off nicely.

CHN Feb. PP challenge
SSS Wednesday challenge, AG
Elliebelle's Feb. challenge, add a sentiment
The Creative Crafter challenge 25, AG
Cardz TV 109

Merry Christmas

Here is another card that I made with some really old patterned paper elements. I think it used to have coordinating patterned papers to go with these tags and labels but they were either used up or give away. Since I don't have the coordinating paper to go with these, I'm combining them with solid cardstock for CAS designs. I used an embossing folder by Darice, and paper punched hearts. All I had to do was make a little twine bow and attach.

February Rudolph Challenge, AG with Christmas
CHN February PP challenge
CHNC challenge 478
12 months of Christmas Feb. challenge #62 
Christmas Kickstart Challenge #28 , use red

Big Dreams

This is the graduation card that I made for my niece, who goes to the same high school. I didn't want it to look to similar to my nephew's card so I used lighter papers from the same TCP Studio paper pad, and added blue to the yellow and black school colors. This sentiment is also by MFT from the Chalkboard sentiments set and I added a stitched rectangle by Lawn Fawn and star die by Paper Smooches.

MAWTT Challenge 115, no image..just text
SSS Wednesday, add a sentiment
CHN Feb. PP challenge
Craft Stamper Feb. challenge, AG with stamping
Elliebelles Feb. challenge, add a sentiment
The Creative Crafter challenge 28, AG
DL.ARt Feb. linky

Go Be It

I have a niece and nephew graduating from high school this year and decided to get ahead of myself for once, and make their graduation cards early. I used an old black and white paper pad by TCP Studios, along with stitched flag dies by LDRS, and a great set of sentiments by MFT (Chalkboard Sentiments). The set has motivational sentiments that I wasn't sure how to use but they're perfect for graduation cards. This one is for my nephew who is interested in the sciences and is very self motivated, so I thought the saying was perfect for him. His school colors are black and gold.

MAWTT challenge 115, no image, just text
SSS Wednesday, add a sentiment
CHN Feb. PP challenge
A Place to Start Feb. challenge, masculine card
Elliebelles Feb. challenge, add a sentiment

Stacked Cheer

I like the tall, thin card format so much that I made another card with it, and used stamps by Joy Clair, with a die cut sentiment by Paper Smooches. I masked the card edge and used ink blenders to add a border.

Double Trouble challenge 50: Tall thin card and stacks. I did Thing 1 and Thing 3
PIP challenge #2007
Let's Craft and Create Feb. challenge AG
Craft Stamper Feb. challenge, AG with stamping
Caffeine Fueled Feb. Coffee Lovers challenge. I used products by Joy Clair
SSS Wednesday challenge, add a sentiment
Color Dare 381, I used red, lagoon and glacier

Holiday Happiness

I have been trying to use some of my really old stash that ended up way back in my cupboards and drawers, when I came across some sheets of Christmas designs that probably originally came with matching papers. However, who knows what ever happened to the papers! So, I decided to combine the tags with coordinating plain card stock, and stamped sentiments in the hope that I eventually use them all up (in my dreams...sigh). This card uses a stamped sentiment by Papertrey Ink, along with an enamel dot and a tag die by Taylored Expressions. It's an easy design that lends itself to assembly line cardmaking.

CHNC challenge 477
CHN Feb. PP challenge
Christmas Kickstart challenge 28, use red
Moving Along with the Times challenge 115, no image and text as focal point
SSS Wednesday. add a sentiment 
PIP challenge 2007
12 Months of Christmas challenge 62

Gelato Stack

I am the Crazy Cousin guest designer for February on the Double Trouble challenge blog, and Challenge #50 Double Trouble Challenge #50  is a fun one. This calls for a tall, thin card, which is a format that I often forget to use but always enjoy. I cut my own card bases anyway, so making one in a different format is easy and fun. You can mix and match the various "things" but you must create a tall, thin card. I did Thing 1: tall, thin card. There is also an optional sketch, which I also used. Then I added Thing 2:  Enter Stamping On Tuesday's sketch challenge , and Thing 3: Stacked images or items. I used patterned papers from my stash, a stamp set by Craft-T, which I colored and layered to resemble gelato in tropical fruit flavors. The die cut circle is stamped with subtle birthday sentiments by MFT (from Bitty Bears), and  the punched scalloped border is by Stampin' Up.  I finished with Glossy Accents and  Nuvo drops, and some stamped word strips with the MFT Bitty Bears set. The big polka dotted embossing folder is also by Stampin'Up.

 Double Trouble #50. Thing 1: tall card, Thing 2: use stacked items, Thing 3: Use sketch and enter Stamping On Tuesday
Try Stamping on Tuesday 445, sketch challenge

 CHN Feb. PP challenge, use patterned paper
Cardz TV 108
PIP #2007, AG
Creative Crafters challenge 25, AG
MFT color challenge 135 . I used raspberry, coral, lime and pale yellow

From Our House at Christmas

Although I put away a lot of my Christmas supplies, I always keep some out to work on cards throughout the year. I used to be scurrying last minute each December, and that was no fun. I've used this stamp on other projects, but I love that it has a simple design and sentiment in a circular layout that works with everything. I layered tags by Gina K Designs and Pretty Pink Posh, and  snowflake dies by Little B and Crafters Companion. Then I finished it off with a silver heart shaped brad that I antiqued with alcohol ink to dampen the shine.

CHNC challenge 477, Christmas
CHN Feb. PP challenge
Double Trouble challenge 49, again and again. I did thing 1, and repeated the tag shapes and snowflakes, also did Thing 2 (notice the tiny reindeer as part of the stamped design?)
Cardz TV 108
Creative Crafters challenge 25 , AG
Creative Fingers 179, AG
Christmas Crafts All Year Round, Christmas with Love
Christmas Kickstart challenge 28, use red

Birthday Flowers

For some reason I have a lot of trouble using card sketches, because I'm the type of stamper that keeps moving things around on the card base until it looks right. I may start out with an idea of what I want, but it never ends up that way. So, I've decided to challenge myself by using sketches more often. This sketch is from the Tuesday Sketch challenge, and I combined it with the MFT Color challenge, which uses raspberry, lime, coral and pale yellow. My photo makes the coral appear more orange than coral, but I actually used Cameo Coral ink by Stampin' Up..so it's a true coral.
It was fun using these bright, tropical colors on such a cold, dreary day.
The sentiment is by MFT and the embossing folder is by Darice. I also used scroll stamps from a very old Fiskars stamp set and circle dies by Sizzix. 

MFT Color challenge 135, use raspberry, coral, lime and pale lemon

CWS challenge 47, use red
Double-Trouble challenge 49. I used Thing 1: repeat something two or more times

Creative Fingers 179, AG
Die Cut Divas Feb. challenge, dies with hearts and flowers
Let's Craft and Create 156, AG
Cardz TV 108
MFT Birthday Project, make a birthday card and add hearts 
Craft Stamper Feb. Challenge, AG

Happy Heart Day

Pulled out some heart dies (stitched heart by MFt and Heart Nesting dies by Kat Scrappiness) and this Simon Says Stamp set (Right Meow) to make a Valentine card for my grandkids. The papers are old ones from my stash and are by Studio G, and I used a heart sentiment and tiny hearts by Pink Paislee.  I popped it in the mail today so they'll get it in plenty of time.

CWS challenge 47: use red
Penny Black and More February Saturday challenge, animals
Crafty Hazelnut's Feb. PP challenge 
SSS Wednesday challenge, Love
Tales From the Craft Room Challenge 2, Love
Papercraft Business Feb. challenge, LOVE
Kat Scrappiness Feb. challenge, hearts
Let's Craft and Create 156, AG
Die Cut Divas Feb. challenge, hearts and flowers

Smile

When I saw this stamp set by Mama Elephant (Baked With Love), I just had to buy it. That little hedgie rolling out dough is the cutest thing I've ever seen! I hadn't inked it up yet, so I took the opportunity to use it for my Crazy Cousin guest designer spot on Double Trouble in February. The clouds are by Paper Smooches, the sentiment is by Raisin Boat and the Wonky Edged rectangle die is by Gina K. By the way, do you notice the little heart-shaped cookie cutter that squirrel is holding?
Double Trouble Challenge 49 consists of Thing 1: Repeat something in your design. I repeated the bakers twine and the clouds. Thing 2: Double-Dare. If you have used something old from your stash, and a critter, then you can link up to the Use Your Stuff Challenge 391.  Thing 3: Use something old from your stash and add a critter or two. I used some OLD bakers twine, old Paper Smooches cloud dies, and of course the critters. You can stop at Thing 1, but I had fun completing all three with this card.

Double Trouble Challenge 49, Again and Again. I did Thing 1, Thing 2, and Thing 3
Use Your Stuff challenge 391, old stash and critters

Die Cut Divas Feb. challenge, hearts and flowers. That little squirrel has a heart cookie cutterl
Creative fingers #178: AG with stamping
Word Art Wednesday 424-425
Penny Black and More Feb. challenge, animals
Craft Stamper Feb. challenge, AG with stamping
Papercraft business Feb. challenge, Love

Purr-fect Valentine

I am in a Valentine making frenzy this week as I prepare a donation of cards and little notebooks, and cards to send out to my nieces and nephews. I used a cute stamp set by Papertrey Ink called Tiny Treats to make this card. The stitched flags are by LDRS and the circle dies are by Sizzix. I even pulled out an old flower punch by EK Success and topped it with a tiny rhinestone. The cardstock that I used for the stitched flags are recycled financial report folders from back in the day that we ran a business. Who would have thought those folders would have a second life on a Valentine card?

Snippets challenge 370. Not only did I use all snippets for all the different card parts but I even recycled a folder for the flags!
Crafty Hazelnut's Feb. PP challenge
Creative Crafters challenge 24: AG
Die Cut Divas Feb. challenge, dies with hearts and flowers
CWS 47, add red
Penny Black and More challenge: Animals birds or butterflies
SugarPea Designs Meant to be Sent challenge. Make a card and send it. This goes out on Monday
Cardz TV 107
Creative Fingers 178: AG with stamping
Word Art Wednesday 424-425

Home Sweet Home calendar

Yes, it's another one of the mini-calendars that I made to give to friends and family. This one uses a  new stamp set by The Cats Pajamas and square dies by Cottage Cuts. I masked the bottom part of the scene and used ink blending to make a lawn. I used some REALLY old paper from my stash for this one. I loved that the stamp set gave you options for the tree...so I chose hearts to signify the love you feel in your home.

SSS Monday challenge, All loved up
SSS Wednesday challenge, AG
Crafty Hazelnut's Feb PP challenge
Creative Crafters challenge 24
Creative Fingers Challenge 178: AG with stamping
Die Cut Divas Feb. challenge, hearts and flowers and a die